Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Josie Rourke, Focus Features and Working Title, MA, 124 Minutes.
The latest screen adaptation depicting the tragic saga of the Scottish Queen Mary is based on John Guy’s book “Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart” and helmed by renowned stage director Josie Rourke in her movie debut.
This historical drama begins in 1561 with Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan –‘Lady Bird’) returning home to reclaim her rightful throne as the Queen of Scotland, simultaneously posing a potential threat to her cousin Queen Elizabeth (Aussie actress Margot Robbie –‘I Tonya’).
Her return and having a Catholic monarch on the throne is strongly condemned by Protestant cleric John Knox (David Tennant –‘Dr Who’) which results in Mary removing him from her counsel.
In order to weaken Mary’s position, Elizabeth suggests she marry her lover Lord Dudley (Joe Alwyn –‘Boy Erased’) but instead Mary chooses the disloyal Lord Darnley (Jack Lowden –‘Denial’) who provides her with an heir in spite of being homosexual.
These turns of events enrage her enemies, especially Mary’s half-brother Moray (James McArdle –‘71’) which ultimately leads to Darnley’s murder and the start of a rebellion supported by Queen Elizabeth’s closest advisor, William Cecil (Aussie actor Guy Pearce –‘Alien Covenant’).
Determined to ensure her son succeeds Elizabeth, Mary is forced to marry a Scotsman, Lord Bothwell (Martin Compston –‘Scottish Mussel’) but this only extends her reign for a short period before her imprisonment and inevitable execution.
Despite its lavish production and splendid Scottish settings, Rourke’s dreary storyline has far too many complicated plots to make it anywhere near as enjoyable as the 1971 release which starred Vanessa Redgrave as Mary and Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth.
In addition there are some historical inaccuracies such as the complex rivalry between Mary and Elizabeth including the fact that they never met, yet in Rourke’s rendition they did in a secluded site. Relating to the performances of both Ronin and Robbie, they do provide convincing portrayals of their characters as did Pearce although it appears that Robbie’s presence on the screen was limited, possibly due to Willimon’s poor script.
An interesting post-script shown prior to the credits is that Mary’s son James did become the first monarch to rule England and Scotland following Elizabeth’s death in 1603.
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
